Power House

When the bells sound at Engine 22, A Division of the San Diego Fire Rescue Department, Melissa Cleary moves like a sprinter fresh out of the blocks. But it's the skills she's developed as a marathoner--endurance, strength, fortitude--that benefit her work the most. Cleary, 48, is the station engineer of the nation's only professional all-female fire station. She drives the truck, racing to a burning building where, within minutes, she must secure the scene and drag the 86-pound dry hoses to the water supply. During the four or five calls Cleary responds to during a 24-hour shift, she could be climbing a ladder several stories high with 55 pounds of equipment on her back, wielding a sledgehammer to break down barriers, and rescuing and resuscitating victims. Each response takes about two hours. "There's no doubt that my running makes me better on the job," she says.

During much of her 16-year career, Cleary was the lone woman at the station. She always felt she had to prove herself in the male-dominated field. Being a runner--with 38 marathons and a 3:17 personal record to her credit--helped earn respect among the brotherhood.

In October 2005, Cleary wound up with three other women--Joi Evans, April Lallo, and Robyn Benincasa--at the same firehouse. Despite the physically grueling and mentally draining work, "there's a peacefulness about us," says Cleary, who also serves as the company cook, charged with serving her crew healthy meals. Firefighters need to complete 90 minutes of fitness activity during each shift. The foursome meets that requirement with group runs, stretching sessions, and something you probably wouldn't see at an all-male station: a 5 o'clock "dance party," in which the firefighters do the Stairmaster or ride stationary bikes and work out while watching Oprah.

When her shift ends at 8 a.m., Cleary hits the roads--not the hay. "I hate to waste the day just because I had a busy night," says Cleary, who has been logging 50 to 60 miles a week in preparation for her hometown's Philadelphia Marathon on November 19. She often runs up to 15 miles with Benincasa, an elite adventure racer, after work. "On a run with Melissa, you can solve the world's problems as well as your own," Benincasa says. "She always knows how to make you feel good. Melissa is the heart of the station."

Despite her exhaustive work, Cleary's schedule actually gives her ample time to train. For eight days, she's on duty for 24 hours, off for 24 hours. Then she has six days off. This schedule also enables Cleary to satisfy her passion for adventure--she ran China's Great Wall Marathon in 2004 and Tibet's Mt. Everest Marathon in 2005, two of the world's most strenuous 26.2s.

"My strength comes from my weaknesses," says Cleary. "When I was a kid, I was intimidated by so many things. I dreamed of so many things but struggled with self-confidence. I wanted to travel and make a difference in the world. When I moved to California in 1979, I decided to be the person I wanted to be and do all the things I dreamed I would do."

At 20, she discovered distance running through a college physical-education class. "At the end of the semester, we had to run a half-marathon," she says. "I discovered I could do it. I could be a runner." She went on to run marathons and become a personal trainer and a paramedic. On a call in 1987, Cleary was stunned to see a woman get off a fire truck. "I knew I would love to do that," she says.

Cleary became a San Diego firefighter in 1990, and since then has become one of the fittest members of the 900-member department, which includes her fianc?Phil Valoff, whom she met on the job. Cleary was chosen to serve as a Peer Fitness Trainer in the department's wellness center, helping firefighters stay fit for their annual health evaluation. She is also an instructor in the department's PHLAME program, a national exercise and nutrition regimen for firefighters. And she is an instructor and proctor for a new national Certified Physical Abilities Test that incoming firefighters must pass.

Marc BloomMarc Bloom’s high school cross-country rankings have played an influential role in the sport for more than 20 years and led to the creation of many major events, including Nike Cross Nationals and the Great American Cross Country Festival.

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